Page 10 - Champion Get the Facts booklets

1990 The X-3 range of wiper blades
is launched

6
By 1990, wiper blades had become the second most important

product in the Champion line-up and the launch of the X-3 range

established Champion as the wiper brand leader in the UK retail

marketplace.

1992 Cooper Industries announces the
creation of a new division

1993 Designed to consolidate all Cooper's automotive companies under
one leader and one philosophy, Cooper Automotive is created.

European operations of the
company are reorganised

1994 The European operations are re-organised into product-specific
divisions: the Ignition Products Group - of which the Upton
manufacturing facility is a part - and the Wiper and Filter Products
Group. Each of these divisions controls product line engineering,
manufacturing and product management and distribution,
through seven sales companies, for the whole of Europe, Africa
and the Middle East. This all operates under the collective umbrella
of Champion Europe, which is based at Upton.

Champion acquires ignition
components business

Ignition coils and diesel glow plugs were added to the product
portfolio when Champion acquired the Magneti Marelli factory
at Carpi in Italy. This was an important element of Champion
Europe's plans for its long term future.